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10-1
Chapter 10
APPROACHING THE CUSTOMER WITH ADAPTIVE SELLING
The chapters included in Part 5 review the basic principles used in the
strategic/consultative sales presentation. This information is used as students prepare
1. Establishing objectives for the sales presentation.
a. The first prescription reminds us that we need to establish one or more objectives
2. Developing the pre-sale presentation plan needed to meet objectives.
a. Must be guided by a strong desire to offer outstanding customer service.
3. Renewing one’s commitment to providing outstanding customer service
a. Achieving excellence is the result of careful needs analysis, correct product
1. Value is added when you position yourself as a resource – not just a vendor.
2. Well-planned presentations add value when based on carefully developed sales call
objectives and presentation plans needed to meet objectives.
3. Good planning ensures that the presentation is customized and adapted to meet the
needs and time constraints of the prospect.
4. Careful planning is the key to delivering more value and increasing your sales
productivity.
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Copyright © 2018 Pearson Education, Inc.
II. Planning the Preapproach
A. Preparing for the actual sales presentation includes two parts:
1. Preapproach and approach
2. Preapproach is part one and involves preparing presale objectives and developing a
presale presentation plan.
3. Approach is part two and involves making a favorable first impression, securing the
prospect’s attention, and transitioning to need identification (Figure 10.2).
4. Preapproach and approach, when handled correctly, establish a foundation for an
1. Professional salespeople complete the preapproach for every presentation whether it
involves a new account or an established customer.
2. Preapproach includes the first two prescriptions for developing a presentation
strategy:
1. Prep for sales call: part research, part planning, and part critical thinking
2. Factors influencing presentation objectives
a. The presentation objectives vary across the five stages of the buying process
1) Establish rapport and begin building a relationship with the customer.
2) Obtain permission to ask need identification questions.
3) Obtain personal and business information to establish the customer’s file.
d. Presentation objectives for stage two might include the following:
1) Involve the customer in a product demonstration.
2) Provide value justification in terms of cost reduction and increased revenues.
3) Compare and contrast the features of, for example, a truck fleet lease plan
1) An action objective is something that you want the customer to do during the
sales presentation.
2) Action objective brings a sharp focus to the sales presentation.
1. This approach is ideally suited for complex or customized products.
2. Services that require direct communication between customers and technical experts.
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3. The team approach often results in more precise need identification, improved
selection of the product, and more informative sales presentations.
4. Team sales presentations require a more detailed precall plan than individual sales
calls.
5. Team members should be given detailed information about the customer, understand
1. Salespeople are trained to seek assistance of another salesperson or actually turn the
customer over to another salesperson when problems surface.
2. Salespeople who have well-prepared presale objectives know when to seek assistance
1. Sales of complex or customized products and services invariably involve two teams
of people – the selling team and the buying committee or team.
2. Salesforce.com has introduced a system called “Chatter” to facilitate collaborative
communication throughout the sales process.
3. Creates value for the total transaction in that anyone in the buying company not
involved in the solution development.
4. The presentation contributions by sales team members can be better organized and
1. Some cases, salespeople must address and satisfy both the individual and collective
concerns of each participant in a multibuyer situation.
2. In any type of selling situation, salesperson should attempt to determine various
buying influences.
3. When making a presentation to a buying committee, make sure all parties feel
involved.
4. Direct questions and comments to all potential decision makers in the group.
5. Early as possible, identify the most powerful influences.
6. Find out if there are any silent team or committee members.
7. “Silent member” is one who can influence the buying decision but does not attend the
presentation.
8. Silent members are usually senior managers who have a major influence on the
buying decision – find a way to communicate with this member.
1. Adaptive selling involves altering sales behaviors in order to improve
communication with the customer.
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2. Salespeople today must develop a broader repertoire of selling strategies and apply
1. Review the relationship strategy,
2. Review the product strategy, and
3. Review the customer strategy.
1. Approach – The approach should set the stage for an effective sales presentation.
2. Need discovery – One of the most critical parts of the selling process.
3. Presentation – Critical aspects in determining and fulfilling needs.
4. Negotiation – Handling resistance.
5. Close – Spot closing cues and confirming the sale.
6. Servicing the sale – Learning to service the sale is an important aspect of selling.
1. High-quality and professional approach is a powerful way to add value and
differentiate from competitors.
2. If the approach is effective, may be given the opportunity to make the sales
presentation.
3. Approach has three objectives:
a. Build rapport,
1. Credibility is critical to your success in sales.
2. Failure to be well prepared for the sales call will undermine credibility.
3. Little things can erode your credibility (arriving late for the appointment, for
example).
4. Credibility and influence grow when the customer realizes you are a competent sales
1. Advantages of the telephone:
2. Some salespeople use the telephone exclusively to establish and maintain contact
with the customer
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Copyright © 2018 Pearson Education, Inc.
a. Telesales, not to be confused with telemarketing, include many of the same
elements as traditional sales: gathering customer information, determining needs,
prescribing solutions, negotiating objections, and closing sales.
3. Tips on telephone use:
a. Plan in advance what you will say.
b. Politely identify yourself and the company you represent.
4. Effective use of voice mail
5. Effective use of e-mail
a. Some customers prefer e-mail as an alternative to telephone contact.
1. The objective is to build rapport.
2. Building rapport should lead to credibility, which leads to trust.
3. The brief, general conversation, which holds prospect’s attention and establish a
relaxed and friendly atmosphere for the business contact follows.
4. Three areas of conversation should be considered in developing a social contact:
5. Guidelines for good social contact
a. Prepare for the social contact – identify customer’s interests.
6. Business contact
a. Converting the prospect’s attention from the social contact to the business
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Copyright © 2018 Pearson Education, Inc.
VII. Converting Prospect’s Attention and Arousing Interest.
A. Seven most-common ways to convert the prospect’s attention are:
1. Agenda approach
2. Product demonstration approach
3. Straightforward method using product to gain the prospect’s attention. In many
multi-call situations, salespeople leave samples for the customer;
4. Referral approach – referral approach is quite effective because a third party (a
satisfied customer) believes the prospect can benefit from your product.
5. Customer benefit approach – one of the most effective ways to gain a prospect’s
attention is to immediately point out benefits of purchasing your solution or value
proposition.
6. Question approach – has two positive features:
7. Survey approach – offers many advantages including:
a. Nonthreatening way of opening the sales call by requesting permission to
8. Premium approach – involves giving the customer a free sample or an
9. Various approaches offer the salesperson a variety of ways to set the stage for the
presentation strategy. (Refer to Table 10.1 for examples of real world situations.)
1. It is an internal, often emotional, barrier to sales success.
2. Sales call reluctance can be caused by several different thought patterns.
a. Fear of taking risks.
